Jay-Z admits his marriage to Beyoncé 'wasn't totally built on the 100% truth'

As part of his apology tour surrounding his new album 4:44, Jay-Z admitted an uncomfortable new truth about his marriage — and he's getting other male celebrities to do the same.

Author:
Maeve McDermott , USATODAY , WXIA

Published:
7:18 AM CDT July 12, 2017

Updated:
7:18 AM CDT July 12, 2017

As part of his apology tour surrounding his new album 4:44, Jay-Z admitted an uncomfortable new truth about his marriage — and he's getting other male celebrities to do the same.

The rapper is releasing a series of Tidal documentaries digging deeper into specific tracks from 4:44, which dropped earlier this month. The latest video, Footnotes for 4:44, is an 11-minute clip released Monday featuring celebrities including Jesse Williams, Chris Rock, Will Smith, Kendrick Lamar, Aziz Ansari and Mahershala Ali discussing race, relationships and masculinity.

Photos | Jay-z and Beyonce through the years

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 02: Beyonce and Jay-Z attend Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2014 NBA Playoffs at the Barclays Center on May 2, 2014 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Toronto Raptors 97-83. User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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NEW YORK, NY - MAY 02: Beyonce and Jay-Z attend Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2014 NBA Playoffs at the Barclays Center on May 2, 2014 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Toronto Raptors 97-83. User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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For his part, Jay got candid about his sometimes-troubled relations with Beyonce, after spending a considerable part of 4:44 owning up to the misdeeds she sang about on Lemonade.

“This is my real life," he said. "I just ran into this place and we built this big, beautiful mansion of a relationship that wasn’t totally built on the 100% truth and it starts cracking."

"Things start happening that the public can see,” he continued. “Then we had to get to a point of ‘Okay, tear this down and let’s start from the beginning' … It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

Photos | Beyonce and Blue Ivy at the 2016 MTV VMAs

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Beyonce attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

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NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Beyonce attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

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Elsewhere in the video, Jesse Williams referenced his recent divorce from Aryn Drake-Lee and the cheating rumors that followed.

“I was in a relationship 13 years, 13 real years, not five years, not seven years – 13 years,” Williams said. “All of a sudden (expletives) are writing think-pieces that I somehow threw a 13-year relationship."

The Grey's Anatomy actor called the breakup "the most painful experience I’ve had in my life, like, with a person I’ve loved with all of my heart," and denied the rumors "that I threw a person and my family in the trash because a girl I work with is cute.”

Footnotes for 4:44 follows Tidal's previously-released Footnotes for The Story of O.J., which digs deeper into the politically-motivated track.

For Jay fans hoping to see 4:44 live, the rapper announced a 31-city tour on Monday, which kicks off in October.